The Clean Energy Regulator is inviting views on the guidelines for the Corporate Emissions Reduction Transparency (CERT) report in a second public consultation.
The CERT report has been co-designed with the industry and will support National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting scheme (NGER) reporting companies that choose to disclose emissions reduction and renewable electricity commitments and their progress.
Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator, David Parker, said while there’s a growing number of companies making welcome commitments to reduce their emissions and use renewable electricity, there is an increasing need for greater transparency.
“By providing a standardised and simple format for reporting emissions, CERT will make it easy for participating companies to report their net emissions position and their progress towards voluntary commitments.
“In designing the CERT report, we have sought to balance providing participating companies with the flexibility to properly tell their emissions reduction story, while ensuring a degree of consistency and comparability in how the data is presented.”
The Clean Energy Regulator will verify key metrics where they are drawn from schemes and registries we administer while participants will be responsible for the accuracy of other data and information.
“Participating companies will use the CERT report to communicate their achievements to consumers, investors, shareholders and government agencies, providing confidence in progress towards their emissions reduction commitments,” Mr Parker said.
The CERT report builds on the NGER scheme and draws data from our registries, which improves data quality without increasing costs. It will support voluntary disclosures made by Australian companies under international schemes, including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the Global Reporting Initiative.
Mr Parker said stakeholders have been working closely with us to develop the guidelines, the report and prepare for a pilot.
The CERT report will launch in late 2021. The first year will operate as a pilot to test and refine the design, administration, and reporting arrangements. Mr Parker emphasised that participation is voluntary and open to companies reporting emissions under the NGER scheme above the publication threshold.
“If you have an emissions reduction commitment or an interest in transparent emissions reporting for companies, we are seeking feedback on the practical application of the CERT report guidelines that will be used in the pilot,” Mr Parker said.
Submissions will open Monday 18 October 2021 and be accepted up until 5pm AEDT, Monday 1 November 2021.
Visit the Clean Energy Regulator’s website for more information.
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